Charles Addams: Deathbed Declaration

Listen carefully . . .

"To . . . hell . . . with . . . yogurt."
Charles Addams
Original art
The New Yorker, March 5, 1979, p. 43
Creature Comforts, 1981

Original New Yorker cartoon art by the one and only Charles Addams was offered on eBay in February. Framed and glazed, it sold quickly at the Buy It Now price.

"To . . . hell . . . with . . . yogurt."
Charles Addams
Framed original art
The New Yorker, March 5, 1979, p. 43
Creature Comforts, 1981

Addams was truly a master of his craft. The detail shows how expertly he handled the group standing around the bed, the Georgian setting, and the dramatic shading from the single light source.

Detail

Charles Addams's signature

Charles Addams

eBay listing ended February 4, 2023

https://www.ebay.com/itm/334729651834?hash=item4def71267a:g:njIAAOSwWXVj2~Cv&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4He%2BE6nNpm8YAWoEr6cLcQtblTX6%2BpA%2Bls%2F%2FVBSxrQ6pUffVU2bhAqp63C%2BUStKYPXcfhvc7r3UK69lRsHLebeMCzPvWma13NCO6JKDmWYS%2FHxNrdz9ZNExfeHrL6XRDCrBbINBcCNldkBtokRwCn1BJJXaAJBWV4G%2B9aQgaNhmAFdIbHE4oS8FHwTFxiqTmH3l0dokd8OzsYfJgg3leZOEQLkalvdPXBzz6Edt2I4XnXIWym6pMBwlevM13kyHZO6QvAnO%2B3BuM%2FcGjUEIfIF2GtASz1r%2BBoWtrndrlcr%2B1%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR6iai53wYQ

Charles Addams

eBay item description

The Best Offer option was not used.

"To . . . hell . . . with . . . yogurt."
Charles Addams
Original art
The New Yorker, March 5, 1979, p. 43
Creature Comforts, 1981

"To . . . hell . . . with . . . yogurt."
Charles Addams
Preliminary art
The New Yorker, March 5, 1979, p. 43

https://www.artnet.com/artists/charles-addams/tohellwithyogurt-rough-illustration-for-the-new-oRg6LHhjCMSTHqPXl7f75g2

A spot drawing by an unidentified artist and a cartoon by Charles Addams

https://archives.newyorker.com/newyorker/1979-03-05/flipbook/042/

Creature Comforts, 1981

Those who aren't sure they understand this joke might like to look at a widely-seen television commercial from the 1970's:

Spot drawing
Artist unidentified

Note:  Now might be a good time to revisit my posts on the late New Yorker cartoonist Edward Koren (1935-2023).

Images of original art by the great Charles Addams are always welcome on the blog.

Can anyone identify The New Yorker's spot artist seen above?

I don't have the full auction details for the preliminary art, including the price realized. Anybody?

On his Ink Spill blog for February 4, cartoonist Michael Maslin noted three original Addams cartoons on eBay. He linked to them here and two of them sold on that very day. The third is still languishing . . .

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Charles Addams: Galley Slaves

Here's an extraordinary work of original New Yorker art by Charles Addams. The seafaring cartoon was offered for sale on eBay in February where it made quite a splash.

Charles Addams
Original art
The New Yorker, September 6, 1976, p. 23
Creature Comforts (New York, Simon & Schuster, 1981)

The composition is noteworthy for its overall symmetry. The humorous element is placed right in the middle.

Charles Addams
Framed original art
The New Yorker, September 6, 1976, p. 23
Creature Comforts (New York, Simon & Schuster, 1981)

The lettering is carefully done so it will reproduce clearly when shrunk down to the magazine page's size.

Detail

Charles Addams's signature

Verso

Verso

Charles Addams
eBay listing ended February 4, 2023

https://www.ebay.com/itm/334729651054?hash=item4def71236e:g:~zgAAOSwO4tj2-4j&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4M4yS77Ovet96MdRGETydWOCWUd6QJFYfATHOka%2FLFzC%2FKAPB0iFoOGc2%2FHSF2Qw9lF1f30uYIgRZ6ZVGNsxZFRfbF%2BpuMTDLpagyBbm4%2Bc%2BS%2FPJWDDnuWz%2

BqbV383C60N19mRUl4MGaZh4ekL86r7jGsEzx9qG62FNkujQps4hKtetepMNciFnzIMwSmlpbmk1jw0UyCUdjt24KnwWUkW2%2BnCsLbhl08ChVjwJ%2F%2FJYtBnJo1RQtHzI8brkRWLI4%2F8ztVDoa%2FFpJlJptq2WnHqAbdauCu9OnlBLoW1Yg8De%2F%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR8i05dXvYQ

Charles Addams
eBay item description

The Best Offer option was not used.

Charles Addams
The New Yorker, September 6, 1976, p. 23

Charles Addams
Original art
The New Yorker, September 6, 1976, p. 23
Creature Comforts (New York, Simon & Schuster, 1981)

A spot drawing by Henry Martin and a cartoon by Charles Addams

https://archives.newyorker.com/newyorker/1976-09-06/flipbook/022/

Creature Comforts (London, William Heinemann Ltd., 1981)

https://www.abebooks.com/first-edition/Creature-Comforts-Chas-Addams-Heinemann/10451603109/bd

Spot drawing
Henry Martin

Note:  Michael Maslin linked to this original drawing and described it as "classic Addams" on his Ink Spill blog here on the very day when it sold with Buy It Now. Coincidence? You tell me.

04289

Charles Addams: In the Psychologist's Waiting Room

An original, unsigned, rough drawing executed in Conté crayon and pencil by Charles Addams (1912–1988) is available from Argosy Books of Manhattan. It is set in the waiting room of a psychologist's office. The cartoon is apparently from 1959 according to the listing and was almost certainly submitted to The New Yorker. Today, the drawing will cost you $1750, although a more appropriate price might be $1812.

In the lower right corner, Addams considered setting this gag inside the psychologist's office with the requisite couch:

Charles Addams
Argosy Books listing accessed February 3, 2023

https://www.argosybooks.com/pages/books/312163/charles-addams/untitled-napoleon

On his Ink Spill blog today, New Yorker cartoonist and historian Michael Maslin identified the finished drawing in the issue of April 20, 1981. Argosy's 1959 date for the rough is almost certainly erroneous. The seated man in the waiting room has been reworked into the seated psychologist. The framed diploma is much more at home in the office than the waiting room. The coat rack, and hence the Napoleon delusion, has become the doctor's own.

Charles Addams
Preliminary cartoon art
The New Yorker, April 20, 1981, page 41
Addams, Charles. Creature Comforts, 1981

Spot drawing by J. S. Nelson and a cartoon by Charles Addams

https://archives.newyorker.com/newyorker/1981-04-20/flipbook/040/

Spot drawing of a bucket of tennis balls
by J. S. Nelson

04220

Fleur's Copy of Creature Comforts by Charles Addams

The great cartoon master Charles Addams presented his acquaintance Fleur with a copy of the collection Creature Comforts (1981) enhanced with an original drawing of Uncle Fester. This Flashing Fester—my term—is unusual for the inclusion of the dog, perhaps her greyhound. Items from Fleur's former library are offered by Meier and Sons Rare Books.

Charles Addams
eBay listing accessed October 28, 2022

https://www.ebay.com/itm/255052671146?hash=item3b6252e8aa:g:x6AAAOSwdy5g7cuq&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAwFvZ5bPE75i6UdSDrAKE3JVgQXajx4oWXF9V0s%2FoNMkzPP4QOz1jDLQQRpknF4LX6zFaD9hEVQtIeEOQb91TrNF8A4ieZuXq7BxrZO2Leu4BbmOobFXWUcYqh3XgBFwKWRM5FmcbWcBvF0JxjCORMjmRPY%2BkEJ0I2XPLzkGU2tIMp1Y7PqwusKtBNyeh2LPvVwqoib8vo1coV6mZrkBw1AF63tvuAiQVN34O0bR3Ti3z15Lbf1Z%2FVaWrPtJDDXQ2pw%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR5iQ_5mEYQ

Charles Addams
eBay item description

June 11, 2023 Update:  The Buy-It-Now price has been increased by $500.

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